1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computing scale with a label issuing system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a computing scale with a label issuing system for printing prescribed information such as a measured weight on labels retained on a backing sheet and for substantially stripping a major portion of each of the labels from the backing sheet by means of a stripping plate, so that an operator can completely strip the substantially stripped label and stick the same to a predetermined portion of a commodity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a computing scale with a semiautomatic label issuing system as described in the foregoing has conventionally employed a so-called spring scale for the weighing operation. Accordingly, such a weighing system per se has been relatively bulky. On the other hand, the label issuing system is also provided with a printer for printing prescribed information such as a weight, price, unit price, a processing date, and the like, under which printer a backing sheet winding portion is provided for winding a backing sheet from which labels have been stripped. Furthermore, a rolled-up sheet supporting portion for maintaining a label retaining rolled-up backing strip is provided rearward of the printer. Accordingly a conventional computing scale with a label issuing system has been bulky and thus of relatively large size.
On the other hand, users of such scales prefer a compact computing scale with a label issuing scheme that can be placed even on a small showcase. Generally a showcase is shaped to be of some height with a small area of the upper surface, covered with a glass plate of relatively small strength for the purpose of facilitating observation of the commodities housed therein. Accordingly, in order to use such a computing scale with a label issuing scheme by placing the same on a showcase, it is required that a computing scale be compact such that the height of the scale is small and so as to facilitate observation of an indication by the scale. The surface area taken up by the scale must also be small.
Recently, a weighing apparatus employing an electronic transducer such as a load cell or strain gage type has been proposed and used in practice instead of a conventional spring scale. Employment of such a load cell makes it possible to make the scale compact. However, so far the whole apparatus is not yet compact. In other words, the whole aparatus of such a computing scale cannot be made compact, unless both the scale proper and label issuing systems are reduced in size. In addition, it is desired or required that such computing scale is structured to comprise a label withdrawing portion for withdrawing a substantially stripped label, which label withdrawing portion is disposed at a sufficiently lower level. because such a scale is placed on the top surface of a relatively high showcase. It is further desired or required that a control panel such as a keyboard and a data display portion for observation by a customer are also disposed at a lower level of such computing scale. Furthermore, the low height of the apparatus is desired so as not to interfere with the conversation with customers.
Although separate implementation of a label issuing scheme and a weighing and display scheme has been proposed and put in practical use, such implementation cannot make the apparatus fully compact in the light of the above described problems.